Families, AAA and industry press Assembly for tougher distracted‑driving rules, education and reinstated safety inspections
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Summary
Families for Safe Streets, AAA and industry groups told the committee they support stronger distracted‑driving enforcement, dedicated funding for prevention and traffic calming, expanded driver education at license renewal, rear‑seat primary belt enforcement, and reinstating vehicle safety inspections to address unsafe mechanical conditions they say are contributing to crashes.
Family members, road‑safety groups, AAA and business representatives urged the Assembly Transportation and Independent Authorities Committee on Feb. 19 to strengthen enforcement and invest in prevention, education and vehicle safety checks.
Sangeetha Badlani, founder of the Nikhil Badlani Foundation and Families for Safe Streets, pressed for changes she described as straightforward fixes to enforcement and support for victims. She said removing the mandatory in‑court appearance requirement for routine distracted‑driving citations (L‑7) would prevent dismissals when officers cannot appear and increase the certainty of penalties. Badlani also urged creation of an education and enforcement fund funded by a modest surcharge for distracted‑driving prevention (L‑9) and reclassification of rear‑seat‑belt violations to primary enforcement (L‑12).
"These are not random accidents. These are preventable crashes," Badlani said, recounting how her family was not notified of some post‑crash procedures after her son’s death and urging a Traffic Crash Victims Bill of Rights (L‑18) to guarantee notification and access to victim compensation.
Lauren Paterno of AAA supported broader outreach and education. AAA praised the state’s new 50‑hour supervised driving requirement for under‑21 drivers and recommended the next phase of work include a statewide education initiative on the change and materials to help parents support new drivers. AAA also supported pilot testing Intelligent Speed Assistance technology and reviewing ignition‑interlock laws for effectiveness.
Industry witnesses including Eric DeJessereau (New Jersey Motor Truck Association) and Eric Baumgren (New Jersey Energy Marketers Group) endorsed more inspections for commercial and passenger vehicles. Baumgren said since the 2010 shift to emissions‑only checks, shops routinely see clearly unsafe vehicles and that reinstating periodic safety inspections could raise compliance and public safety. He also noted ADAS (advanced driver‑assistance systems) maintenance will become a growing inspection concern as cars age.
Committee members acknowledged the urgency and asked witnesses for data on outcomes, cost implications for drivers and small businesses, and training or bias concerns associated with enforcement tools like DRE evaluations. Witnesses offered to supply additional research and pilot evidence to the committee staff.